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宮島Miyajima Island, Japan

Our last post about our trip to Japan is about our day trip to Miyajima Island. We took a 30 min train from Hiroshima southbound and then a 15 min ferry to the island. We were in for some surprises!

First: have you ever been to a national park in the Rockies? Ever wonder why some tourists are so bold when approaching animals (never approach animals!!). Well, this Island may give reason to why some people who live or have visited this island may do just that. These deer are tame. Not just tame as in allow people to see them. They are like goats at a petting zoo!

They will approach YOU (and try and eat paper you are holding… they love paper). They are comfortable in crowds and you can even touch them!

There were more people there too before I could get my camera out.

Oh, god. What a bad idea! Sandy was pretty freaked out…

We visited a temple and some other sites while we were there

but that was not as memorable as this next part. (No pics for this part for the sake of your heebie-jeebie’s and for mine! There is a funny video (unrelated!) at the end, though!)

We went on a ‘nature walk’. First, this was a hike, not a pleasant walk. But that was nothing compared to the other surprise. We think this hike should be named “1000 Spider Obstacle Course”. Seriously, the most spiders we have seen in our lives! And these are no small house spiders. They are ugly.

They hung from the trees and in the bushes and many, many were draped across the path. Now, we have to assume that this was not a popular hike and it had been taken back by the forest (of spiders) but I really think that there is a never ending line of spiders ready to take the place of the fallen like rows of teeth growing in one after another. *shiver*

Now, the smart person would have turned back. We did not. We persevered. It was stupid. The map led us to believe that the hike was short so we were always thinking, we are almost there we are almost there…. it was a 45-60 hike. Yikes. Sandy would take the webs down across the paths so we could sneak by, but no joke, we did crawl hands and knees under one that hung face high across the path and was HUUUGE. (After that, you definitely don’t go back!)

We arrived on the other side and were soaking wet with sweat. I could squeeze out my shirt and have water pouring out (same with the bun in my hair!).

*Sigh*

But it was all worth it! Because, the beach we arrived at had a park and campground and they had facilities in which we saw this: